Brick-machine



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D. GRAVES, Administramx.

BRICK MACHINE.

No. 417,320. Patented Dec. 17, 188.9.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

DORA GRAVES, OF CHARLESTON, (ADMINISTRATRIX OE VARNUM I). GRAVES, DEOEASED,) ASSIGNORTO J. B. CARTER, OF ASHMORE, ILLINOIS.

BRICK-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,320, dated December 1'7, 1889.

Application led December 22, 1888.

Serial No. 294,393. (Nomodel.)

T all whom it may concern:A

Be it known that I, DORA GRAVES, aoitizen of the United States, residing at Charleston,

in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, administratii-ix of the estate of VARNUM D. GRAVES, late a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, deceased, (as by reference to the duly-certified copy of letters of administration h ereto annexed will more fully appear,) do hereby declare that VARNUM D. GRAVES invented a new and useful Improvement in Brick-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in brick-making machines; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the brick-making niachine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, looking` at the side in which the molds are fed. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section. D Fig. 4t is a front elevation with the front of the mud-chamber removed. Eig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the die-plate. Fig. 6 isv a detail perspective view of the lower end of the agitator-shaft withthe agitator thereon.

A designates the vertical supporting-posts, which may be of any desired height and are arranged at proper distances apart. At about the center of the height of the posts a horizontal partition B is secured thereto, the said partition forming the iioor of the grindingchamber, as will be presently more fully referred to. The roof or cover C is secured to and between these posts, near the upper ends of the same,and two of the sides of the grinding-chamber are formed by the walls D E, secured to the posts and extending between the said roof and iioor or horizontal partition. The front side of the grinding-chamber is formed by a vertical wall F, which is secured to the posts and extends downward from the roof to near the floor or horizontal partition, leaving an opening G, through which the ground dirt may escape into the mu d-chamber.

The fourth side of the grinding-chamber is inclined upward and outward, as shown at H, 5o and terminates at a point below the roof, thereby leaving an opening I, through which the clay is fed to the grinding-chamber in the operation of the machine.

J J designate two bars which are secured to 5 5 the front posts and proj ect forward therefrom in a plane slightly below the bottom of the grinding-chamber. These bars support the die-plate K and also support the removable front L of the mud-chamber, the roof of said 6o chamber being formed by a cross-bar M, secured between the front posts in about the same plane as the lower edge of the front wall F of the grinding-chamber. The die-plate consists of a rectangular frame having a nuinber of transverse slots N, which receive the mud and form it into bricks. The die-plate is provided at its ends with the ledges or flanges O, which rest upon the bars .I J, and thereby support the die-plate in proper posi- 7o tion.

The driving-shaft P is arranged vertically within the grinding-chamber, and has its lower end journaled in the iioor of the same. Theupper end of the driving-shaft extends through the roof of said chamber, and is connected with any suitable motive power-such as a steam-engine, the sweep of a ho rse-power, or any other suitable device. lVithin the grinding-chamber the driving-shaft is pro- So vided with a series of radial breaker-pins Q, which, as the shaft is rotated, will thoroughly agitate and pulverize the clay placed in the grinding-chamber. Above the roof of the grinding-chamber the driving-shaft is provided with a large gear-wheel R, which meshes with a pinion S on the upper end of the central agitator-shaft T, and the said pinion meshes with similar pinions U, arranged on the upper ends of similar shafts V on oppo- 9o site sides of the said central shaft. These shafts T V V are journaled in the upper portion or roof of the machine and extend downward into the mud-chamber, their lower portions being journaled in the cross-bar M and steadied thereby. The agitators or feeders WV, which force the mud into the openings in the die-plate, are secured to the lower ends yond the front ends of the same, as showin of these shafts. Ilhe said feeders or agitators consist of metallic plates having their.

lower ends divided and bent in opposite directious, forming the arms X, and their upper ends provided with'notches which receive the lower ends of the shafts, the central portions of the agitators being engaged in notches in the lower ends `of the shafts, and secured therein by means of the transverse pins Z, inserted through the lower ends of the shafts and central openings in the agitators or feeders. The upper ends of the agitators are also bent to form arms a a.

Below the floor of the grinding-chamber a pair of guide-rails Z1 h are secured to the posts, and a sliding cross-bar or follower c is mounted on said rails. The said Vfollower or cross-bar is connected by means of the pit- -mend with the crank-arms e of a rock-shaft f, which is journaled in suitable bearings at the lower ends of the posts, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The said rock-shaftis further provided at its ends with the lever-arms g, the upper ends of which are connected by a handle 7L.

.t designates a frame which is pivoted at its rear end between the guide-rails l), and ex-V tends forward between the said rails and bethe front end of the said frame resting upon the cranked portion j of a rock-shaft if., which is journaled in suitable bearings above the rock-shaft f and is provided at its end with an operating arm or lever Z, as clearly shown.

On one side of the machine there is provided a vertical guide jm, and the molds are inserted into the machine between the front posts and this guide m into position in front of the cross-bar or follower c.

`The frame is provided at its front end with a transverse series of longitudinally-arranged rollers u, and has in its rear portion a series of transverse rollers o. The molds run over these rollers in the operation of the device, as will be presently. more particularly described.

In operation the gririding-chamber is filled with clay which has been properly moistened.

The proper number of molds are then placed in position in front of the follower and the handle 7L lowered, thereby drawing the follower forward and pushing the molds under the die-plate forming the bottom of the mudchamber. The motive power is then .set in operation, thereby rotating the driving-shaft and causing the radial breaker-pins on the lower portion of the driving-shaft to thoroughly pulverize the moistened clay in the grinding-chamber and feed the same into the -mud-chamber. As the driving-shaft is rotated the agitator-shafts will be set in motion by means of the gear-wheel and pinions connecting' them to the driving-shaft, andk the agitators and feeders on the lower ends vof said shafts will be rapidly rotated over the die-plate, so as to force the mud through been placed below t-he said plate. A second set of molds is placed in position in rear of the filled molds and the lever 7L operated to draw the follower forward and thereby push the second set of molds under the'die-plate. The first molds will thus bepushed forward beyond the front of the machine and can be readily removed. This operation of supplying molds to the machine is repeated until the supply of material in the grinding-chainber has been exhausted, the forming of the bricks requiring no attention on the part of the operator, as the driving-shaft and the agitator will feed the necessary material continuously into the molds, so that all the operator has to do is to place the molds into position beneath the die-plate.

The rollers in the frame revolve as the molds are drawn over them, so as to reduce the friction between the contacting' surfaces and enable the molds to be easily an d rapidly handled. The front portion of the said frame can be' lowered, when it is desired to clean the die-plate, by depressing` the lever l, as will be readily understood.

It will be noticed that the agitators or feeders lV are arranged so that they rotate in contrary directions and will not interfere with each other in their movements, consequently working over the entire `surface of the die-plate and feeding all the mudtherethrough. v

By the use of this improved machine a large quantity of bricks can be easily and rapidly made with the expenditure of small power and without requiring the services of a skilled attendant.

The several parts of the machine are very compactly arranged, and its advantages are thought to be obvious.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-` l. The combination of the grinding-chamber, the mud-chamber communicating therewith, the breaker in the grinding-chamber, the agitators in the mud-chamber, mechanism for simultaneously rotating the agitators and the breaker, the vibrating frame below the mud-chamber, mechanism for raising and lowering the said frame, the follower in rear of said frame, and mechanism for operating' the follower, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the supportingposts and the mud-chamber supported thereby, of the agitator-shafts in said mud-,chamber, and the vertical agitators secured to the lower ends of said shafts and having both their ends provided with oppositelyextending horizontal arms, as set forth.

The combination, with .the supportingposts and the mud-chamber supported thereby, of the agitator-shafts in said mud-cham- IOO IIO

IZO

ber, and the agitators consisting oi' metallic hereto affixed my signature in presence of 1o plates having their lower ends divided and two Witnesses.

bent in opposite directions, forming the arms X X, and their upper ends secured to the lower ends of the agitator-shafts and bent in DORA GRAVES, Admlmsmfrlf of Vamo/m D. Graves, de-

opposite directions, forming,1 the arms (lf, as Leased specified. Witnesses:

In testimony that I Claim the foregoing as JOHN S. GOODYEAR, the invention of VARNUM D. GRAVES I have J. II. MOORE. 

